OK! Finally back with a new chapter! I hope I haven't lost anyone's interest. I do apologize for such a long wait. I've been pretty busy with college starting back up and just life in general, and honestly there was a lot of back-and-forth about what worked with this chapter, but I've finally gotten it to a point that I thoroughly enjoyed. The revision was the easiest of all I've written so far. I didn't see anyone answer my question, so I'll just go ahead and say it.
The introductory portions flow in the following manner: future (Tadashi in chapter 1), present (Cass in chapter 2), and - now - past (Honey Lemon!). Then it repeats! So, the next chappie (and quite possibly the last!) will be introduced with a glimpse into the future. WoooOOooooOoOoo!
(I really hope the length of the chapters aren't too off-putting. I mean, I don't want the info to be overwhelming for anyone.)
I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you so much for your lovely words of inspiration! I always enjoy seeing a new review on the story! Sorry again for the wait! The next shouldn't take too much longer! Time permit ^^
III. Red
It was unnerving knowing that they were being monitored, however, Honey was glad that she noticed them. She had to tell Tadashi! Perhaps that psycho in the mask he had spoken of was – No. It couldn't be. There was no way he would be able to break into a technologically advanced school like SFIT, locate Tadashi's and Hiro's lab, and bug it without the brothers' immediately noticing that something was amiss.
Tadashi was too comfortable. Almost as if his workspace hadn't at all been violated. Almost as if these minicams were planted by an insider.
By Hiro.
Keep a straight face. Don't gasp. Don't let anyone suspect anything. Don't tell anyone, not even Tadashi. Whatever Hiro was up to, he must have had his reasons for doing it.
Perhaps he worried for his brother's safety, just as Tadashi would stress over his. Perhaps they were part of a prank. One committed sometime before the day of the dreaded fire and simply forgotten.
Somehow, she seriously doubted the latter.
Hiro completed his sketches and most of the details surrounding them around evening time. Then he collapsed onto his own bed, stretching languidly in the cool sheets before flopping unto his belly. He did not, or – rather – could not slumber, though, as his mind was still alive and filing through various alterations that would reflect more favorable outcomes when the battle with the mysterious arsonist was finally at hand.
He did not move when he heard Tadashi yawn and pop his joints, nor when he heard Tadashi tiptoe across the room and came to a stop at his bedside.
Hiro nearly purred when his older brother tickled his nape and combed his hair. So attentive, so affectionate. It made Hiro want to return the favor. Then, Tadashi rolled into bed beside him, and buried his nose in Hiro's messy nest of hair. Hiro stretched and glanced back at Tadashi, a lazy grin playing on his lips.
"Hey there, sleepy head," Tadashi greeted.
"Good day. Night. Whatever," he drawled before shifting to face Tadashi and snuggling up to him.
"Geez, you're so spoiled." He groaned when Hiro refused to relinquish his hold. "It's like you're five again."
"Quit complaining. You know you love it." Hiro would never grow out of the urge to cling to him. It struck more powerfully each time, like a bolt of lightening shooting through his veins, burning him with renewed vigor and desire each and every time he merely glanced his brother's way. He'd been denying himself the luxury of Tadashi's warmth for too long now, giving him the space he thought the older one deserved.
(Still, despite his good intentions, Hiro noticed how he'd backed Tadashi into a corner anyway, encroaching in on his territory until every inch was claimed. And Tadashi had let him without complaint.)
Tadashi stuck his tongue out at him, and Hiro resisted the urge to suck on it. Gross him out, then laugh at him when he gags and runs to the bathroom to wash his mouth out with soap!
He ruffled Hiro's hair before sitting up, pulling the younger one up with him. Tadashi chuckled at Hiro's weak protests, but knew that he would follow him out anyway. They had spent way too much time lounging about in bed today, and they were both pretty hungry, not having eaten anything since the day before.
Cass was more than accommodating. So proud she was of her college boys. They must have been tired with how hard they've been working this semester. The least she could do was make them a nice meal. The soup she'd promised (not too spicy, but with enough heat to chase any bugs that would hinder her boys from their work), along with some tasty cucumber sandwiches and two packs of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
Then she kissed them both, commenting on how well Tadashi looked, glad that he hadn't caught anything serious.
He'd nearly forgotten about that incident. He gave Hiro a good kick to the shin when Cass wasn't looking, and the boy yelped. Hiro didn't rat him out, though, looking as innocent as possible beneath her suspicious gaze.
"Must have been Mochi," he chuckled nervously. Though the squeak was clearly that of a human, Cass simply shook her head and accepted the explanation.
Her warning of, "Don't rough each other up too much," let them know that she knew exactly what was going on.
Once they were out of her sight, Hiro practically shoved him into their garage/lab before shutting the door.
"What was that for?"
"You know exactly what that was for." Tadashi straightened his cap.
"Yeah? And you know why I did it."
"Hiro... I think we need to talk."
"I really think so too." He had already rid his system of any betrayal he felt towards Tadashi for disclosing any intel on the masked man. He had already listened to every reason Tadashi could conjure to justify his actions. At this point, he literally just wanted to shout, "Read my journal, stupid!" at Tadashi, but – once again – refrained from doing so. At least it wasn't another spiel of insecurity.
Instead, Tadashi related what they had theorized in Hiro's absence. The possible identity of the masked assailant (Alistair Krei). How Hiro may have been right to not go to the police. Things that Hiro already knew, but maintained his pretense of ignorance before his older brother.
Tadashi genuinely wanted to enlist their help, even if they wouldn't actually be engaging in combat (as far as he knew, anyway), but was petrified of any of them being hurt at all.
They would get involved regardless of what he or Tadashi wanted at this point. Not that Hiro was unprepared for this alteration, but now he knew exactly the role they could play.
They could be decoys.
He could program a hidden directive in their respective suits to activate if Tadashi's life was endangered. They would protect him anyway, surely they would not recognize the extra boost of power they would receive if that scenario were to occur. If they did, well, an adrenaline rush made people have awesome moments all the time! (Maybe Honey – or even Fred - could cover for him on that one.)
There was a way to keep them safe, he told Tadashi. A way that they could help without being hurt.
"Baymax."
"What?"
"Think about it. Remember when I said that we should build some armor for Baymax?" Tadashi immediately began shaking his head. "Listen to me. Let's say the plan with the M-bots fail, Baymax can protect us."
"He wasn't built for that, Hiro. He was -"
"- built to care for the sick and provide top-of-the-line medical care." He'd mimicked his brother's voice perfectly, in his opinion. "How would what I'm saying be any different than his actual purpose? Besides, you're OK with involving those guys. If worse does come to pass – don't shake your head. I'm just stating a possibility. If worse comes to pass, Baymax can protect us and get us to safety."
"... What do you suggest?"
Hiro grinned. "I've got a couple things in mind."
It took some time to fix Baymax's responses to him, and his rotten, little brother would only laugh every time the robotic nurse would activate and attempt to attend to Tadashi's nonexistent medical needs.
"Fix this now, Hiro."
"Sorry, bro, but I'll have to pass on that." Little jerk ran away after that. Something about the M-bots again. "I thought you were done with those."
"Perfection takes time."
"Oh, well, by all means, just leave me here with a malfunctioning robot and go to your precious M-bots." It was sarcasm, Hiro. Sarcasm! Big bro needed help not being pinned to the bed by Baymax!
The circumstances became even more embarrassing when Cass walked in on Baymax attempting to strip him down again.
Red-faced and down to his t-shirt and boxers, Tadashi stammered, "Coding complications." The woman merely nodded and went away for the night. She didn't dare venture back up, and it made him feel all the more chagrined.
Finally, he was able to amend the changes made by Hiro, miraculously not triggering Baymax's response mechanism again. He discovered the hard way that Hiro had also tampered with it, making it far more sensitive than it was before.
(Naughty kid even left a less than charming message in the source code. Oh well, he could always hide his Megabot behind the fridge.)
With his struggles over at last, Tadashi began monitoring the Microbot's activity once more. It had been frantic and alive for a few hours after their initial clash with the masked man, however, its movements soon simmered before ceasing altogether. He thought that perhaps there was a fault, something he missed that made the link sever, but he was quickly able to lay to rest his panic when he noticed that the Microbot would make brief movements on random intervals. Definitely no longer within the warehouse district, but close enough to San Fransokyo for Tadashi to be worried.
There was no news of the masked man, no assaults nor reported sightings. Maybe he would leave for good, maybe he and Hiro would not have to fight him at all. Or maybe he was waiting for the right moment to strike and capture Hiro.
Why not now? Why was he taking so long? They couldn't possibly have staved him off if he had chosen to pursue them from day one. He was practically giving them all the time in the world to prepare for either fight or flight. For what? What was he planning?
"Tadashi, Hiro's tiny robot has not been very active. Should I be concerned?"
'Absolutely.' "No, Baymax. It's fine." The elder Hamada sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. If only there was some way he could protect Hiro, keep him out of this whole mess. The boy was brilliant, he knew he could defeat the man. He did create those Microbots; of course he would know their weakness. But those dreaded words still rang in his ears: If worse comes to pass...
What if it did?
Adroit planning was crucial to victory, but – amidst the utter chaos of the battlefield – nothing was assured. Not victory nor survival.
He already felt like he'd failed Hiro by even putting him in a position where battle was an option, and – quite frankly - he just couldn't see anything good coming of his baby brother facing that brute. Hiro was not savage, not merciless, not someone who would be willing to kill in cold blood. Not like that monster could. Even now, he could still vividly recall the metallic snare upon his leg, crushing it, remorselessly wringing from him tortured cries.
"My scanners indicate that there has been a spike in your cortisol levels." He nearly jumped when Baymax spoke. Seriously, he was a giant made of vinyl. How could he possibly forget he was in the room? "Diagnosis: stress. Would you like a massage? It should soothe your nerves."
"Thanks, Baymax," he chuckled, "but I'm good."
"Are you worried about Hiro?"
"Yeah... I mean, he's always causing some kind of mischief, but I think he might be biting off more than he can chew with this one."
Baymax blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Are you referring to the man who has stolen his tiny robot?"
"Yes." That and a whole list of crimes too painful to recount, but ones that he deserved to be dealt swift justice for.
Brown eyes flickered over to Hiro's desk and locked on the leather-bound journal laying exposed atop the wooden surface. It wasn't open, but Hiro really should be more careful with where he leaves his things!
He would be a liar if he said that he wasn't a tiny bit interested in what his brother wrote in there, and he really couldn't be given wrong for peeking. As he went to pick up the book, he froze. This would be a massive invasion of Hiro's privacy, and – no matter how he tried to warrant his actions – Tadashi could not even bring himself to flip open the cover.
He let out a breathy laugh and lay his palm flat atop its smooth front. Then, he whispered to himself, "Rule Seventy-two: Hamada bros don't snoop through each other's stuff."
Recalling how they had gotten to that rule was a fond if distant memory. It was around the time he had first purchased it for Hiro. His baby brother was so gifted, so full of daring and intelligence. It would be a shame for him to forget even the faintest idea, he'd thought. Hiro could get so wrapped up in the here-and-now, especially when something really held his interest, that he would wind up disregarding the minor flashes of pure genius that would light that beautiful mind.
He wanted to see his every thought come to life, and putting it down on paper was a relatively easy way of doing so.
Tadashi had just been so tempted to know what invention had his baby brother animatedly scribbling in the middle of the night. That was where he first learned of his friend, Megabot, and also where he realized just how terribly affected Hiro was by his peers' (as if they deserved that title) enmity. He knew his brother had problems with those jealous brats, but Hiro had always brushed it off, even when Tadashi had to endure the heartache of seeing tears well up in those big eyes.
On those blank pages, however, he painted a rhapsody of anger and misery and rejection and longing. So entranced he was by his little brother's words that he did not even notice his own tears smudging the ink, nor did he notice little Hiro standing there, watching him. He did hear him scream, however, and watched him crumble and bawl until his eyes were puffy and his nose and cheeks were red, until Cass had come and embraced them both so tightly that he could feel it even now.
He still loved that moment, despite the pain, because it had brought them closer. Made him understand Hiro more intimately, and made Hiro trust Tadashi with his thoughts and emotions more wholly.
Sappiness aside, it had been the incident that bred the rule that Tadashi could remember so clearly, even to this date.
A rule to be upheld, and Tadashi would surely do so.
They worked brilliantly. The M-bots had reduced their target (a simple, wooden dummy) to nothing more than wood shavings in a matter of seconds. Both speed and precision were spot on. Honey had cheered for him, the only sound of life in the empty lab. It was a little weird, considering that there should be at least a few others who would work well into the wee hours of the morning. Oh well, the less witnesses, the better.
"You didn't call me here for that, did you?" She could read him like an open book.
"No. Well, yes. But not this alone. I've come up with something."
Hiro had reviewed the details of the suits hundreds of times in the hours he'd put them together. While he couldn't say that they were one hundred percent flawless, it was a good place to start. And a good way to show that he'd decided to "woman up" and repent for his delinquent behavior yesterday.
Honey was elated by the idea, even more so when he actually elaborated upon what he had in mind for her. Had he thought of this for anyone else, Hiro was certain that it would be a deathtrap. Volatile chemicals being combined in exact quantities solely from memory without being double-checked was a very risky move. Honey Lemon, however, was more than ready to accept the challenge.
So much she could create! So much she could destroy!
She'd literally grabbed Hiro and smooched him right on the cheek from the glee she felt. His cheeks reddened, and he had to resist the urge to pull his hood over his head. He settled for crossing his arms and watching her bounce in place a bit before she took some pictures to commemorate the moment.
After he'd let her have her mini-celebration, he decided to accept her previous offer.
"Honey, will you help me?"
"Help you?"
"Protect Tadashi."
"Of course I will, Hiro! We all will!" She hugged him. "We're your friends, and his friends too. We'll have each other's backs, no matter what." He returned the embrace. The affirmation wasn't actually needed, but it was always nice to hear. Their cooperation would make his plans go so much smoother.
"What is your plan, Hiro? How are we going to fight this man?"
"Simple. Go for his mask. He's using it to control my Microbots. Take that away from him, and we'll win for sure."
"You never told me what you were going to do?" She chewed at her bottom lip. "I know you're piloting the M-bots, but that's not all, is it?"
He shook his head, gaze downcast. That was something he still needed to work out.
While it would have been fun to see Tadashi struggle to get Baymax under control again, Hiro decided to ease up on the man. He would have all the time in the world to mess with Tadashi once that arsonist was out of the picture.
Instead, he changed the name of the primary patient from his own to his older brother's. It was fitting, seeing that Tadashi was the one who created Baymax in the first place.
Once he completed his task, Baymax decided to scan him. It surprised him a bit, seeing that he hadn't exhibited any signs of distress. He must have triggered it somehow.
"Scan complete. Hiro, your cortisol levels are elevated, though I see no external signs of stress. Are you also worried about your tiny robot?"
"Sort of, buddy."
"Tadashi said not to be worried."
"Figures," he snorted. "It's not so much that I'm worried about the Microbot, Baymax," he explained. "I'm worried about the person who has it." Hiro laid back, eyes half-mast and hazy, tiredness finally becoming him after the numerous, sleepless nights he had spent working on finalizing those M-bots.
Then there was last night. Weird, awkward last night.
He was home before nine and ready to shower and hit the sack before eleven struck (for once). Cass, however, had pulled him away from the staircase, insisting that he sampled the batch of cookies she was preparing for tomorrow. He had done so happily, but stopped when he noticed that she was doing the same at a much faster rate.
Stress eating.
He had asked her what was wrong, and she had mumbled something incoherent before flashing him a chocolate-stained smile and lying about debating on whether she should alter the menu to include some new items but was uncertain about whether she could always afford to purchase the extra ingredients and whatnot. It was certainly not because she had caught Tadashi and Baymax doing anything inappropriate if that was what Hiro was thinking!
That had cracked him up. He had laughed so hysterically that his eyes watered and Tadashi rushed downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. The elder brother shared a look of concern with his aunt as they watched him struggle to contain himself and get to his feet.
"It was my fault, Aunt Cass," he had admitted. "I programmed Baymax to think that Tadashi was sick."
"So... he wasn't?"
"Uh..."
"You're grounded." It had been Tadashi's turn to laugh while he sulked about the unfairness of it all.
"You reap what you sow." He was much too happy to quote that at Hiro. He would have to remember that when he reprogrammed Baymax next. Perhaps tickling him until he fainted would be a suitable punishment (or cure in Baymax's database.)
"Sharing your concerns with others does help to lighten them. Would you like to speak about them? Perhaps with Tadashi? He seems knowledgeable about the situation."
"He is, but he's helping Aunt Cass with the bakery." Baymax edged closer to him until Hiro was peering into two black eyes. They looked like big ole buttons, he thought. "Actually, do you mind hearing my rant?"
"Of course not." Hiro did not realize that Baymax knew so little of their predicament. It was to be expected, though; no one had taken the time to consider his input. So he included every minor detail he could think of, even his own frustrations over Tadashi and that man's identity. Could it really be Alistair Krei?
"His blood type is AB Negative. Cholesterol levels are -"
"- wait!" Hiro jumped to his feet, and the robot shuffled back to give him space. "Baymax, you scanned him?"
"I am programmed to assess everyone's healthcare needs." Hiro let out a whoop at his statement. This was perfect! He could use the data from Baymax's scan to find him!
"Can you link the information to a name?"
"Unfortunately, I do not have access to any records that could provide this information." There were ways to work around that, like accessing a couple thousand medical records at once until he found the one that matched exactly with Baymax's scan. Would that be unethical and most definitely illegal? Yes. But, to be fair, it also sounded like a lot of fun.
Hiro paced the floor until his feet finally took him to his brother's side of the room. Hiro climbed atop the sheets and sat cross-legged, hunching forward, elbows digging into his thighs and his chin resting on the bridge his fingers made.
"You are still stressed."
"Ya think?"
"Will apprehending the masked man make you feel better, Hiro?" Apprehending was far too innocent a word to describe what he would do if he got hold of that man. He agreed with the robot nonetheless.
"How's that gonna work for us, bud?" He let out a breathy chuckle. "Think we'd make good superheroes?" Baymax tilted his head.
"You are not fond of rules and enjoy sneaking out to attend 'bot fights', according to Tadashi. When engaging an opponent, you seem to prefer direct confrontation with minimal, external interference. Your priority at all intervals of the confrontation is total annihilation of your opponent." Had him pegged for sure, he'd give him that. "You would not make a very good superhero."
"Hey! I resent that! Lots of superheroes work alone! And not all of 'em are little angels either."
Then, it clicked. Direct confrontation. Of course!
Hiro leaped directly onto Baymax and planted a wet one right on his camera lens. "Thanks, Baymax! You're a genius!"
Maybe that was why his mind blanked whenever he tried to connect his personal suit with the rest of the group. It wasn't because he didn't trust them, nor was it because he'd hit a wall.
It was just as Baymax said, he preferred working solo.
Hiro didn't answer his call, simply continued on his way (with Baymax in tow) to their lab and locked the door behind him. Before he followed, he asked his aunt if she needed anymore help. Of course she didn't! He had done so much, and she was so grateful for his assistance.
Tadashi removed his apron and tried the door. Locked indeed. So he knocked.
"Yeah?" came Hiro's muffle call.
"Open up, it's the police."
A snicker.
"Oh no! Baymax, take the money and run!"
An infectious one, too.
"What are you doing in there? You're supposed to be grounded."
"You can't ground genius, Tadashi. I have needs! I need to thrive!" Tadashi laughed, leaning against the frame to keep himself upright.
"What are you working on? Let me see."
"Nuh-uh! Hamada bros never reveal their work to the world until it's ready!"
"Then gimme a clue."
"Go upstairs." Hiro directed. "That's your clue."
"Rude."
"That was not rude!"
Tadashi figured that Hiro was referring to their room. He was there all morning, moping around, or so he thought.
Hiro's journal caught his attention. So innocently left atop his desk, wide open and in plain view of prying eyes. How silly of him! Wait, was that his clue? Did Hiro want him to read his journal?
Temptation truly was sweet.
Tadashi flipped through the pages carefully, eyes widening as he read through the complex series of notes. From Baymax's sturdy battle form to Gogo's more aerodynamic one, they built upon individual strengths yet linked them inextricably together. Every design immaculate in his eyes.
He stifled his giggles as he read Hiro's side notes (because he really had to talk about those invisible sandwiches) and let out choppy snorts as if to say, "Really, Hiro?"
He could feel the thrill it drew bubble from within his depths, a certain thrill that he had not felt since their days of inventing hover-carts and other dangerous but fun things. It grew more and more pronounced as he read on, as he discovered the suit dedicated to him. He marveled at how intricate it was compared to the rest; fully colored and tailored to fit only Tadashi.
The magnitude of it all left him speechless, nearly rendered him unable to walk, but Tadashi still managed to make his way back to the locked door downstairs.
"I take it you read it?" Hiro asked when he heard the awaited knock. He received no reply, but the older one's stupor was expected.
The elder Hamada found himself seated on their couch with Hiro snuggled in his lap, working on what looked like the armor for Baymax he had seen in the journal.
"You gonna help me convince them, or just sit here like a dummy?"
"Hiro... W-What about you, Hiro? How are you going to protect yourself? Or..."
"I've got my M-bots. Besides, I'm not as strong as you guys." The fact that there was not even a hint of bitterness in his voice tipped Tadashi off that there was much more in stored in Hiro's vision. "These suits are our 'what if' scenario. And... And I hope that they're on board with it. I mean, I know they're probably mad at me still, but -"
"- they'll be on board," he confirmed as he wrapped his arms around the younger one and peered at the screen. "And I am too."
The responses from the rest of the gang were similar to his initial one, save for the dash of disbelief. Yes, they were nerds. Yes, they were just college students. However, an opportunity like this came once in a lifetime, and that was if you were truly lucky.
Their concurrence – that they were all friends and that they would help no matter what – and the excited chattering on Fred's part about how their origin stories were just beginning all became background noise to Tadashi. Paled before the glow of utter ebullience in his little brother's eyes. He wasn't surprised. This was his... No. This was their biggest project to date.
This was the best way to protect Hiro.
When that Microbot mobilized, it really got going. Something big was about to go down; Tadashi could feel it in his bones. They'd barely had a day to practice control over their gear, and even less time to actually work as a team, but none of that mattered right now. All that mattered was catching that man. Catching him before he had a chance to hurt anyone else, before he had a chance to hurt Hiro.
They could do it! They had the resources and the manpower from these suits alone. The M-bots wouldn't even be necessary at this point. They could... They could be used to help their aunt slice and dice things in the kitchen! Yeah! That would be cool.
Baymax sent out the signal, told them where to go. If his calculations were correct, the Microbot, along with the thief who was misusing it, would be arriving shortly at the loading docks. The very place where they had spent some hours honing their skills (trying to reach a decent level before answering the call to action, in this case), and testing their equipment.
There had been a few hiccups, but nothing irredeemable. Though, Tadashi had ended up making a mental note to keep Hiro as far away from Wasabi's plasma blades as possible. That and Fred's flame-throwing abilities alarmed him to some extent. Alas, it was what excited his friend, and he trusted him not to be careless with those abilities.
Not at all like the tyrant who robbed the world of such a good, respected man.
Only Honey Lemon seemed a little hesitant, and not for the reasons he'd assumed.
"What about Hiro?" she pressed. "His M-bots?"
"If we take this guy down here, Hiro won't even need to get involved."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
After a moment of silence, he pursed his lips and gave his reply, "It is in my book. I'll see you guys there, Honey Lemon. Keep your heads down just in case. I'll think of a plan." He cut the video call after that.
Then he turned to Baymax. He really did look very cool in his armor (intimidating as well in that sleek red), and Tadashi couldn't help but admire his own gear a little (he'd geeked out more than enough over building it). They really did look like superheroes.
"Wings, Baymax," he commanded, and the robot followed his orders.
"I have some concerns."
Tadashi snorted, "Tell me about it." They probably should have tested his flight features first.
"I fail to see how flying will make me a better healthcare companion."
"Trust me, bud. Right now, it will."
"Does it have to do with the tiny robot?"
"Yes. You think you'll be able to get us to those docks in one piece?"
"I believe I can," Baymax affirmed without hesitation.
Then they took off like a rocket. Tadashi couldn't remember a time he had screamed so hard in all his twenty-one years of life. Lucky for those locks Hiro had recommended for him, or else he would have fallen right off.
"Too high, Baymax! Stop before we breach the troposphere!" To Baymax's defense, he did say stop, not slow down. So when they began plummeting to the ground, Tadashi's voice raised a few more octaves. "Thrusters, Baymax! Thrust! Thrust!" The robot shot forward, thankfully, he went horizontally. "Too much thrust!"
Tadashi shut his eyes a few times, fearing a crippling collision with one of the many skyscrapers they zoomed past, or when he'd ordered Baymax higher once more, directly in the path of the countless blimps that lined the skies.
It became easier to pilot him, though, calling instructions and even encouraging Baymax to go faster, to make some loops and barrel rolls, gain some control over his new found capabilities.
'Time to test those magnets,' he thought as he made a leap from Baymax's back, landing lightly upon one of the blimps and dashing across before diving right off the edge. He must have fallen somewhere between ten and fifteen feet before Baymax caught him and locked him into place once more.
He yelled, flinging his arms and tossing his head back. His body trembled with mirth. It stole his fright, made him crave the high. When Baymax entered another barrel roll, he kicked off once more, enjoying the ocean of bright lights and the orchestra of bustling lives and roaring winds and – he nearly hit that train. Oh gosh! Thank goodness Baymax caught him in time!
"Your adrenaline levels have increased significantly, and your serotonin levels are far higher than they have been recently."
"Yeah? What are you getting at?" Baymax's words didn't click right away.
"The treatment is working." Baymax shifted gears and they lurched forth with the blast of a sonic boom behind them.
With the loading docks in sight, Tadashi signaled the end of their fun and bid him to land as quietly as possible. That went much better than the launch had.
The Microbot was within range now; he would be here soon. So they took shelter behind one of the large containers, waiting. So fixated he was on the man's appearance that a single tap to his shoulder nearly made him shriek. The sound died on his lips the moment he glimpsed the golden armor.
It was Gogo. "What took you, slowpoke?"
"Flight... issues. Where are the others?"
"This way, let's..." her voice trailed off, drowned beneath the sound of crashing waves. Near a dock? Tadashi whipped around, still keeping his cover, and saw the being who had invoked a tremendous fear in him.
He stood tall and proud atop the army of Microbots, scanning the vacant yard as a precaution. A nocturnal predator on the prowl, ready to hunt and end any creature that had the audacity of posing a challenge.
The Microbots hauled large chunks of metal out of the water, a strange, faded crest of a bird stamped on one of those pieces.
Tadashi glanced back at Gogo, who stared right back in anticipation. He nodded and turned on his communication device. "You guys seeing this?" Affirmative.
"What's the plan?" Wasabi's voice flowed smoothly through the intercom.
"The mask is his source of power. Take that from him, and he's just some guy we can take down."
"Correction. Some weak freak we can pummel to bits." Gogo's snark was always appreciated. It drew a collective chuckle from them.
"I get that. But what's the plan?" he placed emphasis on 'plan'. "Diversion? Head-on at – forget that one, actually."
"Diversion, for sure," Tadashi assured. "Fred, you ready to put those flame-throwers to use?"
"Just say the word and his goose is cooked."
"Honey Lemon, are you ready with those ice bombs?"
"You bet." She sounded far more confident in his decision now.
He looked to Gogo. "Do I even have to ask?" She popped her gum once before shutting her vizor and racing off.
Finally, he turned to Baymax. "Ready, Baymax?" He climbed aboard and activated his wings. They shot forth, an action that clearly startled the masked man. His recovery time was short, though, as he sent a burst of Microbots in their direction.
Dodge left. Loop back. Activate magnets and sever the Microbots' connection to the kabuki mask! Watch out for Fred!
When Hiro received that text from Honey, he was livid. He sprinted downstairs and into the garage, wanting to make absolutely certain that his brother was gone. He nearly screamed when he got his answer.
That stupid, selfish idiot! That reckless moron! This was their fight! They were in this ordeal together!
Hiro forgave him for avoiding him. Hiro forgave him for telling their friends about the arsonist. Hiro forgave his uncertainty. Hiro could not forgive him for trying to erase his role in this battle.
It was not like they were any more prepared than Hiro was.
The timing could not be more inopportune, even though he had not expected them to have all the time in the world to prepare before this maniac executed whatever sadistic plans he had up his sleeve.
He donned his suit, a piece he had kept as private as possible while building. The color of midnight with total dominion over the M-bots.
Hiro did not even need to test it. He knew how he had built it, and he knew it was going to work.
The M-bots activated with the flick of a wrist, flying to Hiro, lifting him from the concrete, moving him forth, hissing and snarling as though the emphasize their master's rage. His anguish. Because he wasn't there to protect Tadashi. Because Tadashi didn't have faith in his power.
Why? Why? Why?
Why trust them and not him?
Hiro was born just for him! Born for the young man who guarded him and adored him long before he took that first breath of life! Born to love him and be loved in return! Born to protect him and be protected in return! They were the inseparable Hamada geniuses. They were meant for each other. They belonged to each other.
Hiro halted his advance when he came across the familiar sight of the docks, and the frightening sight of a fight going downhill rapidly. It was like his blood turned to lead, stopping his heart, his breath, stripping away his very life force.
Where are you, Tadashi?
The entire ground had been iced over, rendering Gogo's gear useless, and sent her crashing into Honey, who's chemical bomb slipped from her grasp and encompassed them both in a thick fog.
Please, don't let it be poisonous, Honey.
Wasabi dangled helpless by his legs, swiping at the Microbots that encased them (all the while trying not to slice his own legs off) before he was thrown like a rag doll into the artificial fog.
All that was left was Fred and -
Tadashi...
He was going in for a direct attack, Hiro realized. All or nothing. If that stream of Microbots hit him, Fred would surely be nothing. Before he even had a chance to help, before he had regained enough of his composure to offer his complete protection, his world was shattered. For his older brother, appearing from quite literally nowhere, leaped from Baymax and shoved Fred out of the way, taking the hit himself.
Tadashi, NO!
An impact of such brute force that it sent the young man crashing straight through a container before leaving a shallow crater in the ground, where he laid unmoving.
The Microbots withdrew.
Tadashi?
Tadashi's friends called to him, speeding to his aid. Baymax reached his creator first, assessing the severity of his injuries.
Please wake up.
He had been the only one that Hiro had installed an emergency communications device on, and Hiro knew it wasn't damaged. He had to endure the sound of his brother's labored breaths before they quieted altogether.
… How could he have been so foolish?
Gogo was so incredible! Her effortless command of such impossible speeds never ceased to amaze him.
How could he have put Tadashi's life in anyone's hands but his own?
Fred's adaptability was certainly new to him. Of everyone there, he acclimatized the fastest to his gear.
So called 'friends' who did nothing but come between him and Tadashi?
Whoa! Wasabi was a like a master swordsman! Reflexes that rivaled even Gogo's, and precision far deadlier than his lasers.
Who only got in the way...
Honey's eyes lit up once she beheld her suit and her chemical purse, and she'd begun experimenting without any reluctance. Creating explosives that she would chuck from the edge of the docks and into the bay, watching the water erupt in a colorful display afterward.
They let him get hurt.
They were going to be superheroes!
They let that monster hurt him.
"I can help you, Hiro. I don't know how exactly, but I know I can."
Liar.
And Hiro saw red.
Wham! I hope you guys got your freakin' minds blown! I feel like you guys already knew this was coming (and I kind of feel the first chapter is gonna ruin the suspense for this... Or will it?! XD) But yeah, tell me what you guys think! Hiro's about to go off the deep end for a while. I wonder if he'll get back on the sanity train? Who knows, huh? See you next time!
